When beekeeping as a hobby runs afoul of the law

A Corona, Queens homeowner is in trouble with New York health authorities for keeping 200 unregistered beehives at his home. Photo credit: Jeanne Noonan for New York Daily News.

Now, who isn’t a beekeeper who at the beginning of the season has a few hives, and at the end has, oh, a few more? Summer splits, swarms, you know, that sort of thing? It keeps us all busy making woodenware, equalizing hives and generally dreaming of just one more box of honey.
But what about the case of a New York man who it turns out ended up on the wrong side of both his neighbours and the New York Health Department for the fact he had 45 unregistered hives in his suburban Queens yard.
Yes, 45. In other words, more than four times the number of hives ambitious hobbyists sometimes have, and more than 10 times the number most Metro Vancouver municipalities permit under their bylaws. Here’s Vancouver’s rules for urban beekeeping.
The beekeeper, Yi Gin Chen, admits his hobby has “gotten out of hand”. But what gets me is the comment from his daughter, who objected to health authorities coming in and taking the unregistered hives.
“This is ridiculous,” said his daughter. “They come here without our permission and just took them away from us.”

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About . . .

Honey Bee Zen Apiaries Ltd and its subsidiary, Swan Valley Honey Ltd., are known for their sustainable beekeeping practices and a growing list of terroir-based niche honeys.
Based in the verdant Creston Valley in B.C.'s Central Kootenay region, we produce award-winning honeys derived from a vast array of forages, including alfalfa, dutch clover, snowberry, thistle, wild fruits, fireweed, sweet clover and more. The land has provided our Swan Valley branded-honey a gentle, delectable, sweetness sought after throughout the province. We supply over 30 retail locations in B.C.
We are committed to working with farmers who respect the land they use and the bees we provide, and we seek out strong and beneficial relationships. We are interested in the science and breeding of bees, the production of honey and hive products, and trying to resolve the challenges bees and their keepers around the world face.